"When You're Root-Bound"
(From Prescription for Peace, by Steve Goodier
© 2000 Steve Goodier)
Like potted plants, people can become "root-bound."
We have a beautiful "Christmas Cactus" which I gave to my wife as a
gift
many years ago. It has accompanied us through tough years and good times. It
has lived with us in four different communities and has been present during
the raising of our family. But it almost died.
As the small plant grew, we transferred it to a larger pot. It did well for
about twenty years, but then began to die. It seemed that no amount of
feeding, coddling or attention helped. We finally plucked a few leaves,
re-rooted them and started over. We could barely remove the now-dead plant
from its pot for all the knotted and intertwined roots. The beautiful
succulent was dying because it outgrew its environment. The plant changed,
but the container it lived in stayed the same.
People, too, can die when they outgrow their environments. They need broader
views, bigger challenges. Songwriter Bob Dylan put it this way: "If you
are
not busy being born, you are busy dying."
One man was offered employment at a salary higher than he had ever made in
his life. After careful consideration, he declined the position.
"What’s the matter?" his potential boss asked. "Isn't the
salary big
enough?"
"The salary is fine," the man said. "It's the job that's not
big enough." He
chose growth over decline, life over death.
Karen Kaiser Clark said, "Life is change…growth is optional…choose
wisely."
Good advice - especially when we find ourselves becoming root-bound.
~From PRESCRIPTION FOR PEACE, by Steve Goodier
© 2000 Steve Goodier
"but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who
is
the head; Christ; from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what
every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part
does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in
love." Ephesians 4:15-16 (NKJV)
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